Southern Conference : Lee and Defense Lead Santa Ana, 32-21

Robert Lee rushed for 231 yards and a touchdown to lead Santa Ana High School to a 32-21 victory over Mission Viejo in the Southern Conference championship game Saturday night before 7,000 at Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.

It was Santa Ana’s first Southern Section football championship since 1945, when the Saints beat Alhambra for the major division title.

The Mission Viejo defense, which intercepted El Modena quarterback Chris Gallego five times in last week’s semifinal win, again came up with the big plays.

Trailing, 25-21, in the fourth period, Mission Viejo had the ball and was beginning a drive for a possible go-ahead score when Saint defensive end Lanier Bridges sacked Diablo quarterback Brendan Murphy for an eight-yard loss.

And then linebacker Derrick Jones dropped Bob Doran for a three-yard loss after he caught a quick out-pass from Murphy. Finally, Murphy appeared to have Doran open on a bomb down the left sideline, but cornerback Royal Wilbon got there just in time to break it up and force a Mission Viejo punt.

After the Diablos held Santa Ana and forced a punt on its ensuing possession, Murphy again went deep, this time throwing a bomb to Dennis Erk, who went up for the ball with cornerback Paul Hurley.

Both players got their hands on it, but Hurley wrestled it away for an interception, his 12th of the season and fifth during the playoffs, to give Santa Ana possession at its 31.

Lee’s 43-yard run put the Saints in scoring position, and quarterback Eric Turner ran 12 yards for the clinching touchdown, which gave the Saints a 32-21 lead with 1:30 remaining.

The Diablos had taken a 21-18 lead late in the third quarter when Todd Yert scored his third touchdown, a 32-yard run on a draw play, but Santa Ana answered with a 71-yard scoring drive that was capped by Frank Arechiga’s eight-yard touchdown run on a reverse to give the Saints a 25-21 lead with 9:11 left.

Turner, who gained 26 yards on a quarterback sneak on the drive, faked to Lee and then handed the ball to Arechiga, who raced around the left side and slipped into the front corner of the end zone for the score.